This is one of those cases I like to call "interesting book, but I'm not the target audience".
I cannot claim that this is a bad short story collection. I genuinely believe I'm not the proper audience for it.
Probably readers who are more prone to enjoying short stories will like this one better than I did.

A bit of a mixed bag but overall it was an enjoyable collection and I really appreciated reading stories set in Tobago. I am not sure that I have previously read very much material set in Tobago (even though I am from Trinidad and Tobago).

Liked the most: 'Ready for the Revolution?'
Liked the least: 'Love Story No. 8: Jane and Phillip'

This collection was a mixed bag but mostly good! I loved two stories, liked five and disliked one. My favorite was Exile, a story about a teenage girl who is sent to live with her aunt in New York during her pregnancy. I also really enjoyed Ready for the Revolution?, an interesting story about an uncertain couple in academia.  

Overall, this is a good pick for a reader looking for diverse short fiction. I look forward to seeing what Herman does next.

A collection of fascinating stories and definitely a very promising debut !
If you're looking for a refreshing read, compelling characters, flowing writing and vivid dialogs this one is for you.

I was delighted to get an ARC from Netgalley, and curiosity soon turned into pure enjoyment.
From the very first story, the strengths of A. K. Herman's writing shown through. Each of the stories have the ideal length and pace, offering us through the voices of strong and convincing main characters exactly what we needed to see, no more, no less.
I didn't love all the stories the same, a few of them did leave me a bit frustrated, but none truly disappointed me. They all shared a flowing narration, clear visual settings, and well-crafted, flawed but touching characters. What I appreciated most was the portrayal of relationships and their complexity. Their layers were either explicitly presented or subtly implied and I found it well-executed. There was something so tender, but bittersweet and sometimes a hint of cruelty which I deeply enjoyed. It felt intense in a very down-to-earth way.

The Believers - 3,75/5
Drink the Dew - 2,75/5
Exile - 5/5
Ready for the Revolution ? - 4,5/5
Love - 3,5/5
Love story no.8 : Jane and Phillip - 4/5
Inside - 3,5/5
The Iridescent Blue-Black Boy with Wings (After Márquez) - 3,5/5

I was confused in the beginning and the last story totally threw me for a loop. But the middle was so good. I love drama and those where more focused in the individual.

I haven't read the book yet, but I wanted to rate it what I think the book will be and when i'm finished i'll be able to see if my first impressions of the book were correct.

3.75⭐

I love short story collections
The cover is very eye-catching

What I find most impressive about this collection is the range of experiences, age, lifestyles - as well as the deft hand that's handled them. There's a fresco here, something broad and giving; details, mannerisms, character's inner lives. Every story a fresh story, a new life, another perspective. What I am drawn to, now that I've finished the collection and am thinking about it as a whole, is the choice of where to end each part; there is no sense of finality to any of the stories, because that would be a disservice to these real, breathing worlds. There is instead, a polite leave-taking, letting these realised people to their future realisations.

My favorite character, I think, is Paula, with her strength, her strategy, her diary, and her mapping the characters and characteristics of her literature onto the people in her life... I found it very charming, very endearing, and also a very real way that we, as readers, (especially when younger) navigate our lives.